To those with large sumps...

[Kizmar]

So I'm a few months in on my Rubbermaid sump, and I've got a lot of detritus settled on the bottom. I got a small power head to try to stir it up so it will get caught in the filter and skimmer, but I'd rather not do it that way in the future.

I'm working through methods in my head and thought I'd see if someone else already has a routine for this. I generally find a couple ways not to do something before I find a right way.

Are you doing something to keep it from gathering on the bottom? Do you use a pump to pull it out of the sump and run it through a filter?

 

[bobby]

I never found a way to keep it out, but filter socks will help a ton.

 

[Kizmar]

I never found a way to keep it out, but filter socks will help a ton.

What's your process to clean it every once and a while?

 

[bobby]

When I had my sump I used a pump with a hose attached to the outlet to suck and blow the stuff out into a bucket during a water change.

 

[poksal]

yeah, I see this as an opportunity to suck at something and be a winner too. Suck it out with a pump or siphon. I'm about to start using a pump.. and will use to do my water changes with a line to the toilet, and change water tank.

I'm not expecting a cordless hose-less water change system on the market anytime soon.

 

[Zissou]

I shut the return pump off and wait for everything to settle, then use a wet vac. You have to make sure your baffles are strong enough though, because nothing will be supporting the one side after you've vacuumed all the water out. Then I fill the space with fresh saltwater. Repeat for any section of your sump that's housing detritus. You get a large water change and a clean sump in the process.

Depending on the size of your shop vac it can take multiple trips to the bathroom/outside to empty, but it's the fastest way to clean your sump; you can empty a chamber in seconds. I tried that one battery operated eheim siphon and it didn't work very well.

 

[d2mini]

You can also use any small pump (ie maxi-jet) with suction hose on one end and exit house on the other end that empties into a filter sock. This way you remove the detritus without removing the water.

 

[Kizmar]

You can also use any small pump (ie maxi-jet) with suction hose on one end and exit house on the other end that empties into a filter sock. This way you remove the detritus without removing the water.

This is what I'm thinking I wanna do. That way I don't always have to do it when I'm doing a water change. Though, I'd probably do this when I'm doing a water change as well and dump it instead of filter it. :)

Part of my issue is that my sump sits on the cement floor in the storage room, so it's hard to get a siphon out of it without a pump.

 

[Amba]

My flow is fast enough that I don't have anything settle, but anything that does gets eaten by my sump dwellers

 

[poksal]

My flow is fast enough that I don't have anything settle, but anything that does gets eaten by my sump dwellers

+1 sump dwellers !!! important guys.. those sump creatures

 

[texreefer]

this may help keep things clean. I put polyfil in the sock to help catch the tiny stuff

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBfBbnHDL5A]Cobalt Aquatics Power Gravel Cleaner.MOV - YouTube[/ame]



you can get them here

Cobalt Power Gravel Cleaner Hang On Aquarium Gravel Cleaner

 

[Amba]

Wow that's cool, may try one of these out although my DT really stays pretty clean with the CUC

 

[Kizmar]

this may help keep things clean. I put polyfil in the sock to help catch the tiny stuff

you can get them here

Cobalt Power Gravel Cleaner Hang On Aquarium Gravel Cleaner

That's exactly what I need. Killer find!